Electric-clock-driving mechanism



April 21, 1931- M. SCHLENKER 1,801,985

ELECTRIC CLOCK DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 14, 1927 IN V ENTOR.

Patented Apr. 21, 1931 MAX BGHL 01' LA SALBEJLLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO CLOCK comm,

or run, rumors, A conrom'rror or rumors unc'rmc-cmcx-nnrvme Applicationfled September 14, 1927. Serial Io. 819,407.

My invention relates to mechanisms for driving electric clocks and the like and has for its object the production of such a device in which an electro-magnet actuatesan armature and lever attached to a suitable spring, the action of the electro-magnet armature and the motion of the lever bel ng such that power is stored in the spring which power in turn drives the clock mechanism.

A further object is to produce'such a device in which the electrical contacts are quickly actuated or snapped when the electrical circuit is closed and when the electrical circuit is broken as it is well known that such 15 snap action prevents in a large measure destructive arcing and burmng and sticking of the said electrical contacts.

A further object is to .produce a device in which the electrical contacts when in contact 2 have a wiping action which will keep them 13 scraped clean and bri ht which is quite neces sary for the best resu ts.

A further object is the productlon of such a driving mechanism that is ru ged and posi- 8 tive in'operation and yet simp e in construction and inexpensive to produce.

I attain these objects by means shown in the accompanying drawings in whlchz Fig. 1 is a rear view of my drlving mech- 80 anism as applied to a clock with rear plate removed showing the position of the actuating elements when the electrical contacts are held out of engagement just after they have been actuated.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of my driving mechanism as applied to a clock with rear plate removed showing the position of the actuating elements when the electrical contacts are held in engagement and they just ready to be actuated.

Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 1 showing my drivin mechanism mounted on a clock.

Simfiar parts are represented by the same numeral throughout the several views.

In the drawings; 1, 2 and 3 are the rear,

middle and front plates of my driving mechanism and a clock movement on which it is mounted. These plates are held together by means of the usual pillars 4, 5, 6 and 7. Mounted on plate 3 is an electro-magnet 8 having a core 9 and wire winding 10. Pivotally mounted on plate 3 adjacent to core or pole piece 9 is an armature 11 which has a pro ecting part 12 which is pivotally connected to a lever 13 by means of a pin 14. Lever 13 is journalled on a pin 15 mounted on plate 1. Lever 13 has pin 16 projecting from same to which is attached a ower storing s ring 17 the other end of w ich is fastene to a hook pin 18 fastened in plate 1.

A central driving shaft 19 is journaled at the center of the device and in plates 1 and 2. Mounted on said shaft 19 1s a ratchet wheel 20 having teeth 21 which teeth are in engagement with a pawl 22 which is pivotally mounted on lever 13 by means of a pin 24 fastened on said lever. 13 and held in engagement with said teeth 21 by means of the spring 23 fastened to a pin 25 on said lever A spring pawl 26 fastened to the plate frame as shown engages said teeth 21 and keeps said ratchet wheel 20 from going in a backward or clockwise rotation, permitting said wheel 20 to be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction by means of the pawl 22 on said lever 13 under the influence of the power storing spring 17 after the magnet 10 has been actuated by the means to be described below.

Fastened on the lower end of lever 13 and electrically connected therewith is a contacting surface 27 which has an electrically insulated member 28 fastened in said contacting surface 27 in such a manner that it, the member 28, projects a proper distance above the contacting surface 27 as shown. Situated so that its end 29 will engage with contacting surface 27 is a spring 30 fastened to the plate frame by means of screw 31 which spring 30 is electrically insulated from the remainder of the plate frames and electrically connected with the Winding 10 on electromagnet 8 by means of the wire 32 shown. Spring 30 has a side projection 33 which is in the path of and engaged by a latching member 34 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 35 fastened on plate 2. Latching member 34 is in addition electrically insulated from pin 35 and the surrounding parts. A spring 36 also electrically insulated from the surrounding arts holds latching member 34 with its note 37 in engagement with projection 33 of sprin 30 during the time the power is bein used from the power storing 17 and during the time the electrospring magnet 8 is not energized all as is shown in Figure 1. Ad ustably mounted on lever 13 just below the contacting surface 27 is an insulated piece or shoe 38 which is so located that it moves in a path so that it strikes a projection 39 on the latching member 34 and as shoe 38 continues to move in a clockwise direction it pushes the latching member 34 against its spring 36 until the notch 37 permits the projectlon 33 to drop off the edge of the notch 37 when the end 29 of the spring 30 will drop into engagement with contacting surface 27, the same as is shown in Figure 2 thus closing the contact parts 27 and 29 energizing the electromagnet 8 which immediately pulls the armature 11 towards its core 9 moving the lever 13 in the counterclockwise direction, and will continue to move it until the contacting part 29 of spring 30 comes on top of the insulated member 28 as shown in Figure 1 at which time the magnet is de-energized and the latchin member 34 moves forward until its notch 3 is again under and supporting the projection 33 on said spring 30 which will hold 29 away from the contacting surface 27 as above mentioned. The power given to the shaft 19 from the spring 17 is transferred to the time train of the clock by means of a spring 40 which always has enough reserve power to operate the time movement during the period the electro-magnet 8 is being energized preparatory to putting a new supply of power in said spring 17.

In operation one end on electrical battery is connected to the terminal 41 which is insulated from and mounted on any one of the plates and connected to one end of the winding 10 on electro-magnet 8 by means of a suitable wire 42. The other end of winding 19 is connected by means of a wire 32 to the contact spring 30 which is also insulated from the plate frame it is mounted on, all as previously above mentioned. The other side of the battery is connected to a connecting post 43 which is fastened directly on or grounded on the plate so that when the contacting end 29 of spring 30 touches the contacting surface 27, the electric current will flow through and energize the electro-magnet 8 as above mentioned, which cycle of operations will continue as long as the electric battery is connected to said connecting parts.

It is evident from the above description that I have produced an electric clock driving mechanism which is accurate and positive in operation and has a quick contact closing means as well as a quick contact breaking means and that has a sliding or wiping contact between the making and breaking of said contacts which will always keep said contacts clean and operative, and further the mechanism is simple and inexpensive to build.

It will be understood of course that while I have here shown and described one form of my invention, I do not wish to limit myself to the exact form shown but desire to have it taken in a sense illustrative of any or all the forms that come fairly within the scope of my claims.

I claim:

1. In an electric clock driving mechanism, an electro-magnet, an armature mounted adjacent to said electro-magnet, a lever pivotally mounted adjacent to said electromagnet and pivotally connected with said armature, power storing means actuated by said lever, an electrical circuit for energizing said electro-magnet, means for closing and opening said circuit comprising a contacting surface mounted on said lever, an

insulating member mounted on said contacting surface, a spring having a contacting part which travels on said contacting surface and is separated therefrom by said insulating member, a resiliently mounted latching member controlling the position of said spring and means on said lever for actuating said latching member.

2. In an electric clock driving mechanism, a frame, an electro-magnet mounted in-said frame, a lever pivotally mounted in said frame, an armature pivotally mounted on said lever, a power storing mechanism, means on said lever for loading said ower storing mechanism, a contacting sur ace on said lever, an insulated part mounted on said contacting surface, a spring having a contacting part positioned on said contacting surface and initially separated therefrom by said insulated part, latching means resiliently mounted on said frame controlling the position of said spring and means on said lever for actuating said latching means with means for energizing said electro-magnet.

3. In an electric clock driving mechanism, a frame, an electro-magnet mounted in said frame, a lever pivotally mounted in said frame, armature pivotally mounted on said lever, a power storing mechanism, means on said lever for loading said power storing mechanism, a contacting surface on said lever, an insulated part projecting above said contacting surface, a spring having a contacting part positioned on said contacting surface and initially separated therefrom by said insulated part, latching means resiliently mounted on said frame and electrically insulated therefrom controlling the position of said spring and means on said lever for actuating said latching means.

4. In an electric clock driving mechanism, a frame, an ele'ctro-magnet mounted in said frame, a lever pivotally mounted in said frame, an armature pivotally mounted on said frame and connected to said lever and actuated by said electro-ma et, power stor- 5 ing mechanism, means on said lever for communicating the power impulses from said electro-magnet to said power storing mechanism, an electrical circuit for energizin 'saidelectro-magnet, means for closing. an 10 opening said electrical circuit comprismg a contacting surface mounted on said lever, an insulating member mounted on said contacting surface, a s ring mounted on but electrically insulated om said frame having a "contacting part on said contacting surface and initially separated therefrom by said in sulating member, a resiliently mounted latching member electrically insulated from said frame controlling the position of said spring 0 and insulating means on said lever for actuating said latching member. 7

5. In an electric clock driving mechanism, an electromagnet, an armature mounted adjacent to sald electromagnet, a lever piv- 25 otally mounted independent of said armature but pivotally connected therewith, a power storingme'ans actuated by said lever, an electrical circuit, for energizing said electromagnet, means for closing and opening said circuit com rising a contacting surface mounted on sai lever, an insulating member mounted on and partially covering said contacting surface, a resiliently mounted contacting member which rides on said con- .5 tacting surface and said insulating member, a resiliently mounted latching member associated with said resiliently mounted con tactin member and means on said lever for actuating said latching member.

6. In an electric clock driving mechanism,

an electroma et, an armature mounted adi'acent to sai electromagnet, a lever pivotaly mounted independent of said armature but pivotally connected therewith, a power driving means actuated by said lever, an elecv trical circuit for energizin said electromagnet, means for closing an opening said circuit comprising a contacting surface having an aperture mounted on said lever, an insulating member positioned in said aperture, a contactin spring which rides on said contacting sur ace and is raised therefrom by 1 said insulating member, a resiliently mounted latching-member associated with said contacting spri and means on said lever for actuating sai latchin member. 

